I got up bright and early one morning, you see one must rise very early to see a polar bear, and I left the igloo. I walked for hours but saw nothing. Then suddenly off in the distance I spied something moving! Yes, yes! It was a polar bear! You see, it is very difficult to see a polar bear...they are white and with all that snow it is very difficult, you must concentrate to find the pupils of the beast. I began stealthily to approach him and before long he spotted me and also began a cautious approach. We were now within a mile of each other. Closer and closer, we had to be very near each other or I could never kill him.

Finally we were about half a mile from each other. The bear was no longer approaching cautiously, rather it seemed he was in a great hurry. So..I unslung my weapon and pulled the powder horn from my chest. I filled the barrel of my might musket and tapped it down well with the tapping rod. I then reached into my right pocket for the buckshot..(pause)...Then I reached into my left pocket for the buckshot..Then into my shirt pocket and my back pockets but there was no buckshot. You see, I had left it in the igloo. The bear was now approaching at a rapid rate, but I was not afraid, and fearlessly raised my musket to my shoulder..I knew that I would think of something. The bear in the meantime had come within several hundred yards, but I remained calm, I was not afraid.

For some strange reason little beads of sweat formed on my forehead, and in that cold Artic air those little beads of sweat turned into tiny balls of ice. Perfect, I thought! I wiped those ice crystals from my forehead and packed them into the barrel of my mighty musket. Once again I shouldered my musket and took a firm stance, I was not afraid. The bear was only a hundred feet away now so I took careful aim. As he reared up on his hind legs I pulled the trigger. The heat of the blast melted those tiny crystal ice balls and a gigantic gush of water shot out of the barrel. But in that cold Artic air that gigantic gush of water turned into an immense icicle. It hit the bear right between the eyes and knocked him out cold. I was able to run back to the igloo, safe and sound.

Herbert The Bear

Tuck your tongue under your bottom lip when telling this story.

Hi...my name is Susie and I live in a big house near the woods with my mommy, my daddy, my little brother and Herbert. He's our pet bear. One day I went into the woods to pick some flowers. when I came home I said HI to my mommy and I went and said hi to my daddy and I pet Herbert, but I couldn't find my little brother anywhere. Then I saw Herbert smile. Herbert had eaten my little brother. Oh, I was so mad! I said, Herbert don't you ever do that again!

Well the next day, I went into the woods to pick some more flowers. When I came home I said hi to my mommy and I pet Herbert, but I couldn't find my daddy anywhere. Then I saw Herbert smile, Herbert had eaten my daddy. Oh I was so mad! I was furious! I said Herbert, don't you ever do that again.

The next day, I went for another walk in the woods to pick flowers. When I came home I patted Herbert on the head but I couldn't find my mommy anywhere! Herbert just smiled and sat there looking big and fat. Herbert had eaten my mommy! I was so mad! I was so mad I was just furious! I said, Herbert, don't you ever do that again!

So the next day I went to pick flowers again. When I came home, there was my mommy, my daddy, my little brother and there was Herbert, just smiling. I was so surprised, I asked my mommy what happened. She said, "Herbert burped!"

The Gift Of Trees

The Indians believe that the secret of happiness comes from giving to others. "All nature gives freely", they say. "The sun gives his light. The rain feeds the thirsty earth. The stars guide and comfort the traveler."

Many, many moons ago, when the Great Spirit put Man on earth, Man was frightened. "Where shall I find food and shelter?" he said. The trees laughed softly. "We are your brothers", they murmured. "We will help you".

The maple tree spoke up: "I will give you sweet water to drink and to make into sugar". he said. The elm tree said: "use my soft bark for your baskets, and tie them together with my tough muscles." "My cousins and I will fill your baskets with sweet nuts", said the hickory tree, and he called to the chestnut,